-One of the world’s leading consumer products supply
chain manager, Li & Fung, has expressed its interest to set up shop in
Kenya as part of its efforts to meet global demand for premium textile products
and related goods.
The Hong Kong Headquartered industrial firm, which has
just concluded a fact-finding mission to Kenya hosted by the Ministry of
Industrialization and Enterprise Development, Cabinet Secretary, Adan Mohamed
will be seeking to explore opportunities in the local textile sector.
Following its fact finding visit, all indicators are now
positive that Li & Fung may be one of the first operators at the proposed
Textile City to be located at the Export Processing Zone complex near Athi
River Township.
Globally, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange listed firm is
recognized as the world's leader in consumer goods design, development,
sourcing and distribution. The Company specializes in supply chain management
of high-volume, time-sensitive goods for leading retailers and brands worldwide
via an extensive global network.
By entering the Kenyan industrial space, Li & Fung
will be extending its reach beyond its current operations in Egypt, Mauritius,
Madagascar, Morocco and South Africa.
Speaking when he hosted Li & Fung executives in his
office, Ministry of Industrialization and Enterprise Development, Cabinet
Secretary, Adan Mohamed, said that global players are trooping to East Africa
with a keen eye to set shop in Kenya.
The Ministry of Industrialization, he said, is sparing no
effort to revamp the textile sector and is rolling out a raft of measures to
attract the best players at the global stage. “With the $300bn AGOA market
largely untapped, there is a great opportunity to create jobs in apparel
manufacturing in the short term as a quick win to address the unemployment
challenges currently faced in Kenya,” he said.
Adding that: “the government has committed resources to
revitalize the textile sector that will ensure its competitiveness is
un-matched in the region and that Kenya is well positioned to become the
regional hub for textiles and apparel production.”
Li & Fung Limited operates one of the world's most
extensive global networks, with more than 28,000 staff members work across over
300 offices and distribution centers in more than 40 economies and will be
among the first beneficiaries of the recently announced textile city should
they choose to expand their operations into Kenya.
Li & Fung's sourcing business covers a wide range of
consumer products, from soft goods (garments and apparel) to hard goods
(non-apparel products such as toys, home furnishings, sporting goods, footwear,
and health and beauty products). With its comprehensive product design and
development capabilities, Li & Fung is able to assist its customers by
taking an initial design idea all the way through to the finished product.
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